I can't speak to the sailing abilities of either version of the boat, but I can speak to the sailing abilities of the Beachcat's smaller brother the Bobcat. The Bobcat is a wonderful sailing boat in most wind conditions, once you learn to understand it's quirks and points as well as I would think you could expect a Catboat to point. I would assume that the shallow keel (newer) version Beachcat would perform much the same as the Bobcat.

I think the ergonomics of the newer version would make it a much more comfortable boat to spend time in than the origianl. Most of the space in the original design was dedicated to a low-top/walk-through cabin. The space was not really comfortable for use while sailing. I have been extremely interested in building the new version for quite a while.

The down side of the new version is I have no idea how long it will take you to get the plans. The original
version can be ordered from Payson and be had in a couple of weeks. I ordered the updated version back in November and haven't seen them yet.